A vehicle system may include one or more powered vehicles that may be mechanically linked (directly or indirectly) to non-powered vehicles. The powered and non-powered vehicles of the vehicle system may travel as a group along a designated route. The powered vehicles may be organized into consists, with each consist including one or more powered vehicles. Non-powered vehicles may be interposed between the powered vehicles. For example, the powered vehicles of two neighboring consists may be separated by one or more non-powered vehicles.
The vehicle system may coordinate operations of the various consists to move the vehicle system. For example, a rail vehicle system may include a powered unit consist that has one or more powered units mechanically coupled to one or more rail cars. In certain conventionally known applications, a lead consist may control operation of one or more remote consists. More specifically, the lead consist (e.g., a vehicle such as a locomotive within the lead consist) may coordinate tractive and braking operations of the different consists (e.g., remote consists or vehicles such as locomotives making up such consists) to control movement of the rail vehicle system (e.g., a train). The consists may communicate with one another to coordinate tractive and braking operations of the train. For example, in certain conventional vehicle systems, a lead consist may provide command signals to and receive status signals from the remote consists via a distributed power (DP) arrangement. The remote consists may be linked with a lead consist via a wireless communication system, with the lead consist determining commands corresponding to tractive and/or braking efforts to be transmitted to all of the remote consists over a wireless communication system.
Current DP operation is generally achieved by an operator (e.g., an operator positioned onboard a powered vehicle of the lead consist) controlling remote consists synchronously. The information (e.g., control commands) are transmitted to the remote consists wirelessly, for example by radio messages. However, such radio messages are prone to errors. This is even more so as the length of the vehicle system increases. Eventually, for a given wireless system, a maximum length of vehicle system is reached at which point it becomes impractical or impossible for the lead consist to wirelessly communicate with one or more remote consists due to the distance between consists. Further, current DP operation also requires an operator to control multiple consists, or groups of vehicles. It may be difficult, even for an operator having skill and experience, to manage more than several consists at once. As the number of consists increases, it becomes impractical or impossible for an operator to individually control each of the consists.
These and other drawbacks of conventional communications and control systems of vehicle systems may result in poor performance, limited flexibility of control, limits on the length of a vehicle system, limits on the number of consists in a vehicle system, limits on haulageability of a vehicle system (e.g., limits on the amount of weight and/or freight that can be transported by the vehicle system), and the like.